Efficiency of Microscopic Simulation Surgery Training in Undergraduate Education

Abstract

At the Department of Plastic Surgery, Osaka University, we provide simulation surgery under a microscope as a policlinic exercise to all medical students. The curriculum for this microscopic simulation surgery appears to have a significant effect on undergraduate education. Here, we describe our education system and a survey conducted through a questionnaire about impressions on microscopic exercises. Our system comprises a lecture, observation of an operation and an exercise in microscopic simulation surgery. In the simulation exercise, medical students anastomosed Silastic tubes (2mm in diameter), as a substitute for vessels, with 10-0 monofilament nylon under a microscope. A questionnaire about our undergraduate education was then distributed to all 6th year students (100 in total) ; 94 students responded. The contents found valuable were the medical simulation exercise (86 students, 91.5%), observation of operations and diagnostic examinations (65 students, 69.1%), and lectures in each medical department (63 students, 67.0%). Eighty-nine students (94.7%) considered the simulation exercise useful and 32 (34.0%) considered the microscopic technique suitable for them. Our survey suggests that the microscopic simulation surgery exercise increases medical students' interest and knowledge.